Helmet or No Helmet? It Depends Which Side of the Atlantic You’re On

By

Martin Eiermann

Apr 29, 2015 4:00 am ET

I learned to ride my bicycle at the edge of a small German village. My parents fastened a set of training wheels to it, strapped a helmet onto my head, and gave me a gentle push down the road. With practice, the training wheels came off, and the helmet disappeared at some point during high school. It was only when I moved to the U.S. that the apparent recklessness of my behavior was pointed out to me.